Dandelions
by lynn.reist
Summary: The wind blew, and the seeds were scattered. He wished for a purpose. He wished he could find his reason to fight. Slow-burn Hisagi/Kotetsu.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _So, here is my first shot at Bleach fanfiction_. _I usually write one-shots, so this will be doubly a challenge for me. There will be a number of pairings cropping up during the course of the story, but it will focus on one main pairing. _

_So, this chapter begins kind of in the middle of the story. Chapter Two will take you back and get you caught up on how we wound up here. Time-line is just before the Winter War arc.  
_

* * *

It wasn't very often anymore that the Ninth Division Barracks was graced with a visit from the head of the Kuchiki clan's head, so it took the acting captain, and ranked Lieutenant, slightly by surprise to see the serene man enter through the office door.

"Kuchiki-taichou," he greeted, managing to stand from his desk without sending the chair over backwards.

He didn't bother to return the greeting, but got straight to the point. "How long has it been?"

Shuuhei's eyebrows knit, seeking clarification.

"Since Tousen deserted—how long has it been?"

Shuuhei bristled. "Sir, I…"

"Too long," Byakuya supplemented. "Too long has there been a hole in the workings of the Gotei 13. Even before the betrayal--" He said the word far too casually for Hisagi to be able to stomach, "Aizen and the others were clearly not positively contributing to the order and discipline required of the Captains." He walked farther into the room, casting a cold gaze out the window.

"You, Hisagi Shuuhei, are expected to fill his role."

There was silence in the small room, but Shuuhei's head was reeling, and he stared at the floor.

"Are you willing?"

Another half moment of hesitation persisted until Shuuhei's head snapped up as if waking from a trance and he said "yes." He suspected that Byakuya would have accepted no other answer.

"The captain's meeting to discuss your promotion will be tomorrow morning at nine and I have on good authority that the number of required recommendations will be met. I expect to see you there in a--" Byakuya paused to run a quick look over the man before him, "more suitably formal uniform."

Shuuhei ran a hand absently over his rumpled shitagi, an ineffective motion to smooth the winkles.

"Fukutaichou, are you listening?"

"Huh? Sort of?" Shuuhei scratched the back of his neck. "Forgive me, Kuchiki-taichou. This is a lot to absorb."

"It's really quite simple. Tousen deserted in favor of Aizen's cause, and you were the division's Lieutenant. Since your squad members are already familiar with you and your training techniques, it was felt by myself and a number of captains that you would be the most proficient choice to take over their captain's position."

"_My_ captain's position," Shuuhei added.

"If you wish to still think of him as such, then yes," Byakuya muttered dryly. "Although for your sake, I hope you shall cease to do so."

Shuuhei's lips pressed together to form a thin line. "Thank you, Kuchiki-taichou, for this opportunity. I am honored."

"Hn," was the only response he garnered. "I will see you tomorrow morning at nine, then, Hisagi-fukutaichou. Don't forget to dress well—for the love of God try to find something with sleeves."

* * *

The din of the room that greeted him quickly subsided as he took careful steps toward his place between Kyoraku and Hitsugaya. Uncomfortably, as the chatter transformed into silence and all eyes turned to him, he tugged on his sleeves.

"Now that we have all arrived, shall we begin?" The General's voice boomed throughout the large room, stealing the attention of the gathered captains away from their newest member. Shuuhei sighed in relief.

"You are all aware of the purpose of this gathering, and so since I seem to only be able to hold order in these situations for a short amount of time, let us get straight to the point." He seemed weary when several chuckles and nods of agreement followed his prediction, but continued nonetheless. "Hisagi-fukutaichou, please step forward."

Without hesitation Shuuhei stepped out of line, squaring his shoulders for good measure. He felt the weight of each and every squad leader's eyes fall on him once again.

"Matsumoto-fukutaichou, Abarai-fukutaichou, Kira-fukutaichou and Kotetsu-fukutaichou, please come forth."

Shuuhei tried to hide a grin when the four vice-captains, and his friends, approached.

"Nominating captain, please state you reasons for suggesting Hisagi-fukutaichou as the 9th Division's captain."

"Sir," Hitsugaya began, taking a step forward and giving Shuuhei a brief glance. "Hisagi-san has shown sufficient leadership skills while acting as Vice-Captain to the 9th Division, and his strength has been proven an essential asset in battle on a number of notable occasions. Furthermore I have little doubt that the shift of power within the ranks of the 9th will be made smoothly, as the squad is already familiar and comfortable with Hisagi-san's authority." His eyebrow quirked slightly, "But I was not the only captain with Hisagi's name in mind. As I'm sure you're all aware, induction by personal recommendation requires six captains to speak on behalf of the candidate."

Unohana moved forward swiftly, shooting Shuuhei a quick smile before addressing the room. "I also recommended Hisagi Shuuhei for the position of Captain of the 9th Division." She smiled warmly again and turned her attention across the room.

Komamura stepped forward and declared that he too was recommending Hisagi.

"I too spoke for him." Heads turned toward the front so see Soifon step forward. She wasn't nearly as encouraging as the others had been, but Shuuhei managed a nod in her direction despite her indifference.

Finally, Byakuya moved quietly forward. "I also suggested Hisagi-fukutaichou for the position," he said, "for it has come to my knowledge that he has been able to reach Bankai."

Shuuhei's eyes flew wide open, and shot directly to Renji, who was smiling innocently. Several scattered murmurs drifted between captains.

"Is this correct, Hisagi-fukutaichou?" Yamamoto's voice was stern.

Closing his eyes briefly, he turned to the General. "Yes, sir."

"And there is witness to it?"

Renji hesitantly lifted his hand.

Shuuhei bit back a groan. This explained why there had been six captains willing to agree to his captaincy.

"It took a while, but he got it," Matsumoto giggled. "Ren- er, Abarai-fukutaichou was the catalyst, Kotetsu was along to put them back together, and Kira and I were there for moral support!"

"Without the supervision of a Captain?"

"Sir, with all due respect," Kira commented. "Bankai training rules express that the officer undergoing training must be under the supervision of_ his_ Division's Captain, and at the time, Hisagi-san was the acting captain of the 9th division due to Tousen's..."

"Betrayal," Renji finished, with a resolute tone of voice.

"Abarai-fukutaichou, you were the acting catalyst in the training process, where was your captain?"

Byakuya cleared his throat. "I was in attendance, sir."

The five vice-captains stared at the 6th division captain with shocked expressions, but with one look from Byakuya, they all resumed a more neutral face.

"And you did not take on the role of catalyst yourself? Would you not have better control over your reiatsu than that of your Lieutenant?"

"General Yamamoto, I have every confidence in the abilities of my Lieutenant."

Renji stood a little straighter.

"Very well, the case has been made on behalf of Hisagi-san. Captains, please resume your places in line."

Shuuhei stood alone, supported only by his fellow lieutenants, at the scrutiny of the captains.

"Of those who were not one of the people recommending Hisagi, who is in favor of Hisagi Shuuhei to become the Captain of the 9th Division?" Yamamoto boomed.

Ukitake and Kyoraku where the first two to step forward, chuckling to themselves and each other at their simultaneous decision. Ukitake offered Shuuhei a reassuring smile, which despite the sick feeling in his stomach, he was able to reciprocate out of politeness, even if it did look as though it pained him to do so.

"The Gotei 13 requires three supporting votes for the movement to be passed," the general reminded.

"General Yamamoto, sir!" Renji exclaimed. "There are not a full 13 members to vote, this is fuckin' ridiculous!"

"Silence, Abarai!" Byakuya snapped.

"But, Taichou!"

"Quiet, kid."

Renji's mouth slammed closed.

"I'm your third vote," Zaraki grumbled. "Don't get your panties in a bunch." He lumbered from his place in line to stand next to Hitsugaya and put a fond hand on top of the boy's head, which he swatted away almost immediately.

"Then we have made a decision. Kuchiki, I expect you to deal with your subordinate's insolence when you return to the 6th, but please try to refrain from turning this meeting into a circus. For now, would the vice-captains please retrieve Hisagi-taichou's effects?"

"Hai!" they responded in unison, scurrying away.

"Hisagi Shuuhei, Captain of the 9th Division of the Gotei 13, please come forward."

He hadn't made a coherent thought since Zaraki had stepped forward in his favor, nor did he deem himself capable of doing so. Absently he moved across polished marble, facing the General, but not looking at him.

"Do you accept the responsibilities associated with this task, Hisagi?"

"Yes, sir." As if he had a choice.

In front of him appeared the four vice-captains, each of them holding something different in their hands.

"Your commission, Hisagi-taichou," Kira explained as he handed the rolled scroll to him. Shuuhei looked down at it, and Kira thrust it forward once again, whispering "take it," before shoving it into his hand and returning to his place in line. It took a moment before Shuuhei was able to snap into action and place the rolled parchment in the folds of his uniform.

"Your zampakutou, Hisagi-taichou," Renji said, offering forward the sword that had been taken from him the minute he entered the building.

"Thanks," he said quietly, accepting the blade and returning it to its regular home, pressed against his hip where its weight was familiar and welcomed.

Renji clapped his shoulder in a companionable manner, and made way for Matsumoto, who carried with her the 9th division haori of billowing white fabric.

"Your haori, Hisagi-taichou," she said with a smile full of pride. She shook out the garment and reached around him to drape it over his shoulders, her breasts pressing against him as she did so. Had the new captain been in a more rational state of mind, he would have found pleasure in this, but as it was, he let her finish, and whispered a muted thank you to her as she straightened the garment on his shoulders.

"Hisagi-taichou." The final greeting was from Isane, who in her hands held a bouquet of small yellow buttercups, the symbol of the 9th division.

"Kotetsu-san," he whispered.

"Hisagi-taichou?" Her eyes widened and the flowers fell to the floor in time for her to catch him as he toppled forward.

Gasps rang out in the hall, but nobody moved except the four vice captains at the front. Renji and Kira exchanged concerned glances as they lifted Hisagi's weight off of Isane, each of them hooking an arm around their shoulders.

"Take him to the fourth!" Isane shouted after them, who with Matsumoto's help was gathering her wits about her as well as regaining her balance.

Chatter erupted among the observing parties, and Yamamoto sighed, lifting his hand to massage his temple. "I present your new colleague, Captain of the 9th Division, Hisagi Shuuhei."

* * *

**Author's Note: **_Stay tuned for more next week, and let me know what you think!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**_ Thanks to everyone who showed an interest in this story. Things will start making more sense as the chapters go on, I hope. Enjoy._

* * *

_-Eight months earlier-_

_

* * *

_

"Yo, Hisagi, let's go!"

With a groan, Shuuhei rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head. "Go away." It was his day off, and he'd be damned if he was getting out of bed before the sun's rays reached the edge of his futon, which would give him at _least_ a couple more hours.

"Good morning, Shuu-san!"

Fuck. There would be no resisting now. He grunted when he felt Rangiku's weight on the bed and her fists grab a handful of his blankets, peeling them away from him.

"Time to go, Shuuhei."

Kira's voice was the most welcome, as it came at a tolerable volume and from a safe distance. Nonetheless, Shuuhei was not pleased. "I strongly dislike you all right now."

"We know!" Rangiku sang out.

He woefully pushed back his blankets and crawled out of bed, given a helpful kick on his backside by Renji as he dragged himself into an adjoining room to get ready.

"Do you think he can do it in one day?" Kira asked, sitting next to Rangiku on the futon, waiting for their friend.

"Are you kidding? It took me _twenty three_ _years_ to achieve Bankai," Renji snapped, unconvinced.

"Shh!" Kira hissed. "He has ears you know."

Renji glared, but nevertheless his voice dropped into a whisper. "Could take decades."

"I can't believe I'm awake this early," Shuuhei grunted, shrugging his kosode over his shoulders, strolling back out into the main part of the room to find his waraji.

"One's over here," Rangiku said, hoisting one of the sandals from beside his futon.

The other he found in a similar location, and with one swift motion managed to kick it into the air to be caught. Rangiku tossed him the one she had found with a giggle.

* * *

"Come on, Hisagi! Quit holding back!" Renji shouted, wiping the sweat from his brow on the back of his hand. "I ain't a little academy student anymore!"

He surged forward, dealing several blows—all of which Renji was able to fend away. "Shikai, at the _very least_," he insisted, dodging another attack easily.

"_Sparring_ hardly requires Shikai, Abarai."

"_Howl, Zabimaru."_

Shuuhei's eyebrows furrowed and he attacked again, deflected easily by Renji's sword.

"C'mon, senpai, give me something to work with here."

He ignored him.

The battled commenced as one would predict, given Shuuhei's refusal to call upon his Shikai, and soon he was beaten back, his chest heaving and his arms weak.

"Damn it, Hisagi," Renji panted. "Release, already!"

He gritted his teeth, growling quietly. He had no chance of standing against Renji's Shikai, but he'd be damned if he raised his Shikai, that symbol of death, in the direction of one of his friends.

Something growled back from somewhere deep inside him.

"Hisagi!"

He charged blindly, drowning out Renji's taunts, as well as the ones in his head, screaming at him to end this, screaming at him that this adversary needed to be _destroyed_.

"Fuck!"

"Renji! What did you do?" Rangiku screamed when the blood sprayed.

"Nothing! Nothing I swear! I blocked! I swear I just blocked!"

"All brawn and no brains," Kira chided, folding his arms over his chest.

"Healing Kidou would be _fantastic _right about now, Izuru," Renji muttered impatiently, retracting his Shikai and kneeling over Shuuhei's slashed body.

The wound, for the most part, was shallow—superficial in a sense, but Shuuhei felt like he had been hit with a force ten times stronger than any attack Renji had dealt him, much less the strength behind his defense.

"Still with us, Shuu-san?" Rangiku prodded, looking down at him.

Kira was already by his side administering Kidou, the spell's healing light glowing faintly over the wound. "You're lucky this wasn't any worse. This maxes out my abilities," Kira said quietly, focusing on maintaining the kidou until the wound had entirely closed.

"Maybe we should rethink this," Rangiku muttered thoughtfully.

"What do you _mean_?" Renji barked. "We can't quit now!"

The busty redhead sighed impatiently. "I _mean_ we should probably get some sap from the fourth division who would be kind enough to put you two morons back together after you're finished beating the crap out of each other."

Shuuhei grunted and pushed Kira back, his fingers gripping on the hilt of his zanpakutou once more. "Let's go, Abarai."

"Dude, catch your breath."

"Let's _go!_"

Renji barely had time to block, and narrowly missed having Kazeshini run him through.

"_Shit!" _he hissed, jumping back. "_Howl, Zabimaru!_"

Shuuhei grunted, ignoring the voice persistently insisting that it be listened to in the back of his mind.

"_Release, Shuuhei_."

"No!" He battled forward, slashing at Renji in attempt to startle him into a mistake—his only chance at defeating the redhead without summoning Shikai.

"_Release, Shuuhei."_

"Fuck off!" he grunted, swinging his sword at Renji again. His chest tightened when metal clashed aggressively.

Renji held him there, sneering at him. "Assuming you can beat me without Shikai is a serious wound to my pride, Hisagi," he ground out. "If I learned nothing else from my captain, it is the importance of one's pride."

Shuuhei's eye twitched, and he fought off his grief at recalling his captain—he who had been a teacher and a role model for most of his career. "And my captain taught me to fight _only_ when you have a purpose. I have no reason to fight you, Abarai."

His arms weakened, and Renji's sword slipped slightly against his own.

"I have no _reason_ to call out Kazeshini_," _he rebuked, fighting back mentally against the overwhelming power trying to leak through the cracks of his consciousness.

"_Reap, Shuuhei_."

The weight in his chest increased, and his elbows buckled, causing their swords to slip against each other again. Renji's reiatsu was being held back by sheer will, and Shuuhei knew that even the slightest slip of that control would end in him being on his ass with the pointy end of Zabimaru potentially in his chest.

"_Reap_, _Shuuhei._"

* * *

"Good morning Kotetsu-fukutaichou."

Isane looked up from her desk, over a stack of papers that nearly blocked her from view. "Oh, hi everyone."

Three suspiciously smiling vice-captains piled into her office, each of them looking guiltier than the last. Renji, in particular, looked like he was going to chew through his lip; he was biting it so hard.

"Who did you kill?"

"Oh, Isane-san, you can't say anything to your captain or anyone else, but we need your help!" Rangiku gushed; rushing the desk in such a fuss that several neatly stacked papers fell in disarray. "It's Hisagi!"

Isane's eyes widened. "What did you _do!_"

"It's nothing to get worked up about," Kira stated calmly, "He's in the 9th Division barracks and I was able to perform a high enough level Kidou to keep him stable. We simply require your expertise in reversing some fairly deep lacerations."

"And possible internal bleeding," Renji added sheepishly, knowing the effects of a blow from Zabimaru better than most.

Isane opened her mouth and closed it again promptly, thinking better of sending one of the seated officers in her stead. Judging by the looks on her colleagues' faces, the situation was not one to be alerting others to.

"Please, Isane-san."

Unohana-taichou had left her with these stacks of paperwork to keep her busy while she was otherwise occupied in a regular session with Captain Ukitake, but of course distractions were to be expected, and Unohana had never once been too upset about unfinished paperwork, so long as the slack was made up another day.

"Alright," she said. She hesitated a moment longer before she stood up, pushing her chair back, away from the desk. "Alright."

"How bad is it?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Isane murmured, quietly focusing her attention on Hisagi's wounds. "How did this happen?"

"It was my fault. I got a little carried away during training," Renji admitted, hanging his head.

"Training?"

"Sparring," Kira interjected.

"Sparring," Isane repeated skeptically. "Is that right?"

Over her head, the three exchanged hesitant glances.

"Well, there was a bit of Shikai involved."

She was quiet, waiting for more.

"I was trying to get him to use his."

She frowned, her lips pressing together tightly.

"I have to restore his reiatsu," she said, biting her lip. "You did a good job of keeping him alive, Kira."

He acknowledged her quietly, but otherwise there was silence.

Rangiku bit her lips. "Listen, Kotetsu, while he's still unconscious…"

"Matsumoto--"

"Shut up for a second, Kira," she interjected, cutting him off. "Renji's pushing him to reach Bankai."

"_What?"_ Isane hissed; her concentration faltering and her aura flickering.

"Just listen. The Gotei 13 is down _three captains_, and of all the vice captains, Renji is the only one who had reached Bankai. He's likely a shoe-in for the fifth, given his history with Hinamori. As for the ninth… well, out of all of us, Hisagi's the closest to his Bankai."

"And he's already lieutenant," Renji supplemented.

"But—Bankai training rules explicitly express…"

"That Bankai training must be supervised by the trainee's presiding captain," Kira said, cutting her off. "We know. We also know that Hisagi hasn't _got_ a presiding captain, and that it was the General's instruction that he should take over the captain's duties in Tousen's stead."

Isane sucked in a breath, her eyes wide. "Have you all told your captains?"

Kira just gave her an ironic look, and she whispered an apology.

Rangiku smiled and patted her back. "No, we haven't; Kira for obvious reasons, and Renji and I for equally obvious reasons." When Isane didn't seem to get what she meant, she elaborated. "Our captains would kill us."

She stifled a giggle at the expense of Taichou Kuchiki and Hitsugaya.

"We'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anyone, including Hisagi."

"But… shouldn't he know?"

Rangiku sighed. "He hates Kazeshini. He won't take kindly to having to deal with him any more intimately than he already has to."

"Maybe we should just tell him," Renji suggested. "Maybe he'll want to learn his Bankai if it meant he'd get the captaincy of the Ninth."

"No," Kira interjected. Nobody questioned him further. He knew as well as Hisagi or Hinamori the feelings regarding the empty positions in their divisions. Ambition was not one of them.

"Fine. But it sucks having to pull Zabimaru on him without any explanation, y'know?"

"What if he fought real hollows? Could we pull some strings to get him an assignment in the Real World? Maybe with Ichigo?" Rangiku suggested.

"That could take years. We have no control over the level of power the Hollows he comes across will have," Kira said.

Renji shook his head. "He has to want it. He has to want it more than anything else in the world. Honestly, I can't figure out what it's going to take to get him to _need_ to use Kazeshini's full power like that."

"What do you mean, Abarai?" Isane asked, looking up at him from where she knelt beside Shuuhei.

"Well, when I was training, it was because of Rukia. I had to save her, no matter what, and when it came down to it, it was because of her that I was able to harness Zabimaru."

"You did it on your own?"

Renji cleared his throat. "Well… er… yeah."

"You didn't tell your captain?" Isane gasped.

"Hey, don't go runnin' around telling everyone I'm some kind of trouble maker alright? It all worked out in the end. It was Aizen's fault Rukia was going to be executed anyway-- I just had to hold Kuchiki off long enough for things to unravel."

"So what means as much to Hisagi as Kuchiki Rukia means to Abarai?" Kira asked aloud.

Three of the lieutenants exchanged looks as they pondered, and Isane returned her attention and her reiatsu back to Shuuhei, whispering an incantation for healing Kidou and watching the green glow encompass his body.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **_Here's the next chapter- sorry that it's a couple days late._

* * *

"I've got it!"

Rangiku glanced up from her desk, eyebrow raised at the sight of Renji panting and leaning on the tenth division office's doorway. "You had better hurry up and explain yourself. If my captain catches me talking to you and not doing this crummy paperwork, I'm never going to let you live it down."

"Hisagi," he said, trying to catch his breath. "He needs a reason to fight hard enough to use Bankai—so, we'll make him fight for his life."

"You're going to kill Shuu-san?"

"No, no, no." Renji shook his head. "We're _almost_ going to kill him. There's a difference, you know."

She chewed on her bottom lip worriedly. "I think we need to talk to Kira about this."

* * *

"You're an idiot, Renji. You just learned your Bankai earlier this year. You have almost no control over your reiatsu and…" Kira shook his head, laughing at the absurdity of the red-head's suggestion. "And you're an idiot, okay?"

"You got any better ideas, wise-guy?"

"My idea is to give up. If he wanted to train to obtain Bankai, he'd do it on his own. As is, we're just meddling with something that isn't our business."

"The Gotei 13 _needs_ captains," Rangiku argued, leaning over his desk. The cleavage trick usually only worked on Renji and Shuuhei, but she wasn't above trying it out on Kira as well.

Unfortunately, he ignored it. "I know this, but we're lieutenants. It's not our job, or any of our business, to decide who will be the next captains of the divisions."

Renji barked out a laugh. "You're kidding, right? You, out of any of us: You know you'll be the one answering to whoever it is they assign to the captaincy of the third, right?"

"And you'll likely be the one assigned to the fifth, I know, but there are other lieutenants who _want_ this more than Hisagi."

"But who would do as good a job?"

Kira bit the inside of his cheek, and looked away when Renji grinned at his triumph.

"Exactly, Kira-kun. Remember when we first joined the academy? There were whispers even then that Hisagi-senpai would be a great captain of the Gotei 13 one day."

"Hey," he snapped back. "I was on board with this, Renji. I _know_ that Shuuhei is the best candidate, but I also know how he feels about Kazeshini."

"What _is _his deal with Kazeshini?" Rangiku asked.

Kira sighed and massaged his temples. "It's hard to explain."

* * *

"Shinigami! What I see here is _frailty_. What I see is _reluctance_ and _hesitance_, which makes you _weak_. When I strike you, you strike me back, or I _will_ kill you."

"Hai, Hisagi-fukutaichou!"

"You there, boy, you look confused." Shuuhei's sword swung around and landed with the dull edge against the young shinigami's throat. "How can I make this any _clearer_ for you?"

"It's clear, Hisagi-fukutaichou!"

"Good," Shuuhei snarled, drawing the sword slowly away from him. He turned abruptly and attacked one of the men in the line, and the attack was blocked and followed by an attack of his own. "Better! Now next time don't bother attacking my _right arm._ I've got a dual blade Shikai, if you recall, and I can just do this-" he threw his sword in the air and easily caught it in his left hand, wielding it with equal proficiency. "Ambidexterity: Do not, under any circumstances, underestimate your opponent."

"Hai, fukutaichou."

"Don't waste time. I left openings here," he raised his fist to his chest, "here" to his neck, "and here," he motioned to his thigh. "I could do this, because I knew you'd be too much of a pansy to hit me where it _matters_. I'd have been dead in one, maybe two blows if you'd man up."

There were hesitant glances exchanged between the shinigami, and Hisagi sighed. "Seated officers five, six, and seven, divide the men and run drills. I'll be in my office."

It was like teaching them from day one. Shuuhei dragged a hand through his hair, sighing loudly. Tousen had focused much of his teaching on _avoiding_ conflict, but with conflict looming so close (and at Tousen's hand, no less) Shuuhei had no choice but to turn the ninth division's way of thinking up on its head.

He had no choice but to turn his _own_ way of thinking up on its head.

He felt his muscles tense at the mere thought, and he shook it off, repressing the thoughts. That was a stress he would deal with another day. As it was, he had enough things to worry about.

Like the massive pile of documents sitting on his desk, or the next edition of the _Seireitei News Magazine _which he had assigned three novices and one seated officer to look after while he was busy covering Tousen's duties and preparing his division for war against their former captain.

But these types of things were not the kind of thing Shuuhei enjoyed delegating. After all, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, and this magazine was something Shuuhei had always taken pride in being a part of.

Plus he had to make sure that Kyoraku's literary submission was sufficiently censored.

Deciding that a day spent in the Editing Department was just as useful as doing tedious expense reports, Hisagi changed his course.

* * *

"Izuru, don't be a douche. Go find him—he's more likely to listen to you."

"Renji, I swear to god, if you call me a douche one more t—"

"_I'll_ go get him," Rangiku declared. "But that means one of you has to go get Kotetsu."

"Deal." Renji agreed. "The ladies of the fourth _love_ it when I come to visit."

Kira rolled his eyes. "Do whatever you want. I'll be standing a safe distance away from everything, so I can't possibly be blamed when everything goes terribly wrong."

"Nuh-uh, Kira-kun. You're coming with me," Rangiku said, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him along behind her in the direction of the ninth division barracks.

Renji waved them off with a triumphant grin. If he had to be the one to face Kazeshini, he didn't want to piss the zanpakutou's wielder off any sooner than was required. Disrupting him from his paperwork, while once had been welcomed as long as it came with the promise of sake, was now an offence that would earn you a glare and resentment for the entirety of your visit.

Not one of the current Captains worked as long and hard as Shuuhei did, and Renji figured he guy needed a break from time to time. Shuuhei didn't seem to agree with him, though.

Perhaps it was just as well- with Hisagi passing on Rangiku's numerous attempts to get a large number of the lieutenants shit-faced, he seemed to be getting in less trouble with his own captain since her attempts were becoming a lot less frequent. Then again, since the whole predicament with Rukia, Kuchiki-taichou was considerably harder to aggravate than he had once been.

Renji stopped as he neared the fourth division, orienting himself in the direction of the infirmary, which, he guessed, was the best place to start his search for Kotetsu-san.

He was surprised to find the many rooms of the infirmary quite empty- a patient stowed away in a bed here and there as he poked his head into various rooms. He came across Unohana tending to one of them, and politely bowed his head as she looked up from her work.

"Unohana-taichou, I was hoping to find Kotetsu-fukutaichou around somewhere. You got an idea of where to look?"

"She _should_ be in the office."

"Beauty. Thanks, Unohana-taichou!" he called, already slipping back into the hall and darting toward the office.

Isane was bent over her desk when he arrived, and held up a hand to stop him from interrupting her. "I'm almost finished, and I'm on a roll. Give me two minutes."

Renji opened his mouth to protest, to insist that she was needed right away, but one look from Isane made him shut up, and he bit his lips, waiting for her to give him the go-ahead nod.

When she finally did, every word he had stored up came out at once, causing a jumbled mixture of sounds to precede his coherent thought.

"Kira's gone to get Hisagi- we're gonna try to push him again, but we gotta do it real hard and real fast and I'm a little sketchy with my ability to hold back my reiatsu once I really get going- and it's Hisagi-senpai, so I really need to _really get going_ so we need you to come and make sure no one dies."

Isane blinked. "No. No way, Abarai. I am not getting involved with this again! I don't think it's a good idea and someone is going to get hurt!"

"Of course they are," Renji agreed, quite complacently, "Which is precisely why we require your expertise."

"Oh no…" She raised an accusing finger at him. "That may work on me to get yourself more pain medication, but you cannot coerce me with flattery this time, Abarai-fukutaichou!"

"Flattery? Kotetsu-fukutaichou, I am simply stating fact. You are the best healer in Seireitei, next to Unohana-taichou, and she often boasts at your proficiency."

She stared at him, wide-eyed and indicting. "You are a smooth-talker, Abarai Renji."

He flashed a toothy grin at her. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar," he said, smirking. "However I have yet to convince Kuchiki-taichou of that."

Isane was reluctantly gathering her things and heading to the door as she laughed. "The day you manage to do so, however, will be a great day in Soul Society."

He slung an arm affectionately around her shoulders. "Amen, sister."

* * *

Hitsugaya paced the length of his office, swiveling when he reached the wall and heading back toward the corner which contained his desk and filing cabinets.

In the centre of the room, on a plush sofa, his Lieutenant and her accomplice were seated, waiting for him to say something—_anything_. They had been intercepted on their way from the third division to the ninth by an irate looking Hitsugaya, and had no other choice than to postpone their Shuuhei kidnapping plans.

"It's come to my attention that the two of you, and perhaps others, are involved in a ploy to encourage Hisagi Shuuhei to acquire Bankai, thus significantly improving his chances at being named captain of the ninth division."

Rangiku's eyes widened and she clutched the arm of the couch. "Taichou! Who told you this?"

He stopped his pacing and lifted his hand to his forehead to massage his aching temples. "You did, Matsumoto, when you came weeping to me in your drunken state last night."

She clapped her hand over her mouth with an astonished expression.

Kira rolled his eyes and sighed irritably. "Smooth, Matsumoto."

"I trust you are both aware that Bankai training without the presence of a captain is a punishable offence?"

"With all due respect Hitsugaya-taichou, the rule clearly indicates that Bankai training must be performed under the training shinigami's own captain, and in case you had forgotten…"

He was cut off sharply by Hitsugaya's pointed glare. "I am well aware of the circumstances, Kira. I'd thank you not to speak to me in such a patronizing manner."

Kira dropped his eyes to the floor, and Matsumoto giggled at his expense, being far more accustomed to receiving Hitsugaya's lectures and far more practiced in how to handle them.

"It won't happen again, Taichou," she said.

"Even if I had the slightest intention of believing you, I would have to protest."

"Taichou?"

"You are brainless, Matsumoto, but you have good instincts—which is probably the only reason I keep you around. That being said, if the two of you believe Hisagi is best candidate for captaincy, I have to give you some benefit of the doubt."

"Captain Hitsugaya, do you mean to say that you support this?" Kira asked warily.

He scoffed. "Do not think that I am now your accomplice. I won't say anything to the other captains or the General of what you are doing. However, if you give me… _reason_… to suppose that Hisagi is qualified for the leadership of the ninth division, I will spread my thoughts to some of the others, concerning recommendations."

"Thank you, taichou!" Rangiku gushed, standing up and sweeping over to him to pull him in for a tight hug.

He struggled in vain. "Matsumoto!"

She pulled away, laughing as he straightened his wrinkled haori.

"Thank you Hitsugaya-fukutaichou," Kira said solemnly. "If we may take leave, we promised Renji we would meet him on the training fields with Hisagi very shortly. I'm afraid we will be late."

"Go then," he said.

They both bowed out of respect and in gratitude before they left, bustling out of the room with a resolute purpose in their steps.

He watched them disappear around the corner with a sigh. "Be careful, you idiots."

-

* * *

-

"Where is everyone?" Isane asked quietly, wary of being annoying to the already irritated lieutenant of the sixth.

"Damned if I know," he muttered. He scratched the inside of his ear with his pinky finger. "I have to run drills in two hours though, and if they don't hurry up, _they'll_ be the ones doing the extra paperwork Kuchiki assigns me for being late."

"Is that them?" Isane asked, shielding the sun from her eyes with one hand, gazing out across the training field to three figures coming toward them.

"For their sake, I should hope so," Renji growled, quickly drawing his sword from its sheath. "Oi, Hisagi-senpai! Took you long enough!"

One of the figures vanished momentarily, reestablishing himself several feet ahead of his former group, the flash-step giving him the advantage of surprise as he drew his sword and charged straight toward Renji.

Metal clashed, and the two vice-captains exchanged feral grins by way of greeting.

Kira and Rangiku materialized next to Isane moments later, and the three of them watched as Renji and Shuuhei battered each other with forceful blows.

"Sooner or later Shuuhei's going to snap, and that will be the end of Abarai as we know it," Kira commented.

Isane shrugged. "I think he knows what he's getting into. Besides, Renji is the one with Bankai, remember?"

"We're looking at this the wrong way," Rangiku muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "We have no reason to be worried about Shuu-san using his Shikai—but we have reason to worry about why he's _not."_

In the middle of the training field, under the heat of the sun, Zabimaru howled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **_I apologize for the wait- I was at the Anime North convention this weekend and couldn't get the chapter done for Sunday... then I just procrastinated._

* * *

"Kotetsu-san, when you're finished with Hisagi, Renji just passed out from blood loss," Kira stated, his voice seemingly bored and his eyelids heavy with fatigue.

"Keep applying pressure, please," Isane directed, trying to divide her attention between giving instructions and healing the enormous gash in Shuuhei's side. "I'm nearly finished here," she said, mostly to herself.

"That was pretty epic though, don't you think?" Rangiku commented, grinning.

"If you call epic both of our friends nearly killing each other, then sure," Kira muttered.

"Hey- at least Shuuhei released Kazeshini."

"Guys, can we focus here for a second? Bring me those bandages over there," Isane requested, vaguely pointing to a pile of medical supplies that she had had the good foresight to bring with her. Generally, whenever Renji came to her with a request, she knew to bring lots and _lots_ of bandages. She felt Rangiku place the roll of linen bandages in her hand, but didn't look up. Most of her attention was required to keep the high level healing Kidou spell in effect, and she feared that if she took her eyes off of Shuuhei's solemnly unconscious face she might lose her concentration entirely.

Happy to help when the spell had done its work, Rangiku propped Shuuhei up, allowing Isane to wrap his middle and keep the significantly shallower wound from opening again.

"How is Renji doing?" Isane called over to Kira.

He glanced down at the redhead whose head was pillowed on his thigh. "Still out."

Isane sighed. "Well, Hisagi should be waking up shortly, and he's going to be in a lot of pain. He can't stand up right away, so don't let him. There's some pain medication in that bag over there, but make sure he only takes two tablets—he's lost too much blood to be able to handle anything more than that."

Rangiku nodded her understanding and went to sit next to her friend and wait for him to awaken.

Isane shifted her attention to Renji and she frowned sympathetically. Kazeshini had shown no mercy, and it had surprised everyone- least of all Renji, who was caught completely unprepared for the dual blade's myriad of attacks.

Of course, Renji had Bankai, and the damage was reciprocated.

Now they both lay in shambles, and Isane was left to fix it.

She summoned up her reiatsu and a gentle green glow surrounded Renji's slashed up body.

* * *

"Kuchiki."

Byakuya glanced up from the papers on his desk, brow furrowing slightly at the intrusion and also with surprise at his visitor. "Hitsugaya."

"Where is Abarai-fukutaichou?"

"The morning is his. I believe he is visiting with my sister—I saw them together a short while ago."

"Kuchiki." The boy's voice was stern. "Where is Abarai?"

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "What, pray tell, is your interest in the whereabouts of my lieutenant?"

"My interest is less in that than it is in your considerable _lack_ of interest; how out of character for you, Kuchiki-taichou."

Byakuya bristled. "Hardly so. Abarai does not require my constant supervision, regardless of reckless and irresponsible he may be. Of course, I understand how you may think otherwise, as your situation calls for a considerably… _different_ tactic."

Hitsugaya scowled. Though it was true that Matsumoto had a wild streak to her, he would hardly tolerate Kuchiki's belittlement of his lieutenant. "Your _opinions_ of Matsumoto-fukutaichou are hardly called for. If I could, I would like to banish her name from the rest of this conversation—unfortunately she plays an essential part in the reason for my inquiry."

Byakuya gave him a look which begged explanation.

"Where," he ground out for a third time, "Is Abarai?"

The taller captain rose from his seat and settled his gaze steadily on his colleague. "Where is Matsumoto?"

They eyed each other for a moment, trying to reach an understanding.

"Do you condone it?" Hitsugaya finally asked, hoping Byakuya had been able to read his silence correctly.

"I do not. Not only does it breech protocol, but it is completely asinine in execution."

Hitsugaya grit his teeth. "He's a logical solution, as is your own lieutenant."

Byakuya was wise to stay quiet in his opinion, as it seemed the passionate young captain was not to be deterred in his thought.

"Do you condemn it?"

The barest hint of a smile passed over Byakuya's face. "Hitsugaya-taichou, I _assure_ you, if I were to have condemned my fukutaichou's actions, he would be scrubbing the barracks floors rather than out gallivanting with your own troublesome vice."

He couldn't disagree with that—both in the sense that Byakuya must have been lenient in this case, as he had made no attempt to stop the handful of young lieutenants, and that Matsumoto was a heavy handed trouble seeker if he ever did see one.

* * *

Shuuhei awoke with a heavy groan. He swiped the back of his hand over his eyes and proceeded to wince at the full-body pain it had caused him to do so. "Gods…"

"You're an idiot."

He squinted and peered at the offending person under the visor made of the hand he was too afraid to replace at his side. "Isane?"

"Yes, it's me."

"You should really work on your bedside mannerisms."

"I'll work on it when I'm actually on duty—on my days off I take every liberty to call an idiot an idiot when I see him." She was sitting cross legged next to him, looking as though she had been watching him in sleep for quite some time; something he would have felt very self-conscious about if it wasn't for the fact that he was sure she was only there because she had been the gracious one who had made his pain significantly less than it had once been. Unfortunately he had been deliriously unconscious in those moments so in his frame of reference, he hurt like fuck _now_, and it was miserable.

Such as it was, he wasn't in a state of mind to take her comments about his stupidity to heart. He simply groaned and closed his eyes.

"Renji's still unconscious," she said, despite the fact that it looked like he couldn't have cared less. "Kazeshini did quite a number on him."

Shuuhei scowled. "I warned him—that jackass. Don't try to make this out to be _my_ fault—he would have obliterated me if Kazeshini hadn't…" He winced, irritated by a sharp pain in his side.

"Ah yes," Isane noted, but she didn't bother to move except to get a better look at the wound that was causing him such strife. "That was a particularly deep one. I wouldn't squirm around if I were you—Kazeshini leaves a very difficult bite to heal."

Shuuhei grunted. "You mean Zabimaru."

"No, I mean Kazeshini. Zabimaru did this;" she poked hard on one of his ribs, causing him to cry out.

"Shit, Isane, that _hurt_!"

"See the difference?" she quipped, her voice annoyingly light and cheery. "That is a broken rib, or it was. I've healed the bone, but it will hurt for a couple days. This here-" she ran a light finger over the closed up wound on his side that started on his back and curled around his torso just above his hip bone, "is a severe laceration."

He winced. "Yeah, so?"

Isane just smiled.

"You're infuriating."

"I know."

He wanted to roll over and ignore her, but he had a feeling it would cause him an astounding amount of pain—something he wasn't willing to face at that given moment. Instead he observed her quietly, trying to ignore the smug look of amusement on her face.

"So who had the foresight to call you again?"

"Renji," she replied. "He had the good sense to flatter me until I had no other choice."

Shuuhei snorted. "Flattery is how he gets most of what he wants. You shouldn't appease him so, `Sane."

Isane grinned at the nickname. It had been a while since she had heard him use it—not since she had been promoted to lieutenant shortly after he had resumed his position as vice captain of the ninth. It made her grin to know he still thought of her like he had when they attended academy together years and years ago. "It's a good thing I did this time—if I hadn't been around you _and_ Renji would be dead."

Shuuhei winced. "It was really that bad?"

"Brutal," she assured him. "I couldn't see very well for all the dust, but we could all _hear_ (and quite clearly) the two of you scream when Kazeshini outsmarted you."

Shuuhei jerked forward, trying to sit up, but cried out instead, lowering himself back down. "What are you _talking about_?" he hissed.

"Don't act like you don't know. You weren't about to release Kazeshini on Renji, Shuuhei. I know you too well to believe that. Kazeshini released himself."

"That's impossible," he spat. "Do you honestly think I have that _little_ control over my own zanpakutou?"

Isane bit down on her lower lip to keep from commenting, but the incredulous look on her face couldn't be hidden.

Shuuhei grunted.

"Renji said he never even heard you say its name," Isane whispered.

"It was a little more complicated than it looked, okay? Don't go assuming I don't know what I'm doing, alright?"

Isane laughed lightly. "Of any of us, Shuuhei, I expect _you_ to know what you're doing."

* * *

Kira watched from as distance as Shuuhei and Isane conversed, an exchange which eventually devolved into Isane laughing and Shuuhei scowling at her with a positively acidic look on his face.

He turned with a sigh back to Rangiku who was sitting quietly in reflection beside Renji, who was still unconscious; bandages covering most of his bare torso.

"Hisagi woke up," he informed, and he saw the blonde's shoulders sag with relief.

"I've never seen anything like that before."

Kira quirked an eyebrow. "You used to cut yourself with your zanpakutou all the time."

"Hey, it's a freaking cloud of ash, okay? It's hard _not_ to get cut. I still do, every now and then." She absent-mindedly scratched a recent scar on her arm. "I meant about what Renji said before he passed out… about how Shuu-san didn't verbally release Kazeshini."

Kira chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Perhaps he just didn't hear him. It's hard to hear anything over the roar of Zabimaru."

Rangiku nodded, but she didn't look convinced. There was something about the look on Renji's face when he came stumbling away from the tangle of chains and limbs that was Hisagi – he was genuinely shocked.

Kuchiki-taichou taught his lieutenant a number of things, and one of them was to always expect the unexpected—expect, despite trend, that your opponent will always perform the least likely action, and then you will be prepared for it.

The worst of it, however, was that although it was shocking that Renji had been surprised by Kazeshini's Shikai form swinging toward his neck, it was all the more disconcerting that Hisagi, too, had been caught entirely off guard.

Rangiku looked up when she heard her name, finding Isane had helped Shuuhei sit up slightly, and he was calling to her.

"Hai, Shuu-san?'

"How is he?"

She looked down at the red-head lying seemingly in peace next to her. "He's fine- just being lazy."

Kira stood and straightened his shitagi. "Someone needs to tell Kuchiki-taichou. Renji is supposed to lead drills this afternoon, and with that much internal bleeding, he'll require at _least_ a day's rest."

Of the remaining conscious members of the group, all of them exchanged hesitant glances between them. The only one of them that was in the least bit _not_ afraid of standing up to Byakuya was currently unconscious, having been quickly patched together by the lieutenant of the fourth on her time off, no less.

"Well, Izuru, he dislikes you the least…" Rangiku started, but Kira's sharp glare cut her off.

"Why don't _you_ do it," he spat back. "This was your idea."

"It was _not! _If it was anyone's idea, it would have been Renji's!" She turned to Shuuhei. "You're the one who knocked him out, _you_ should tell him."

"He can barely sit up, let alone walk!" Isane defended.

"I'll go."

Isane's eyes widened and she waved her hands in protest. "Hisagi, you can't. You need a few hours of rest your self—and in this state Kuchiki-taichou could glare at you and you might fall over."

"He can do that with a glare even when I'm in perfectly good health." He batted her hands gently away and tried to get up, accepting her frantic attempts to aide him.

"At least let me go with you," she insisted. "I wouldn't be a very good healer if I let my patiently wander away without being properly taken care of."

He tried to protest, but he nevertheless shifted a great deal of his weight on her shoulder. "No one was doubting your abilities, Isane," he assured her.

"Don't let him look you in the eye!" Rangiku called, watching the two of them hobble off toward the sixth. "Be careful!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**_ Why not leave a review? _


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